Amusement device



C. F. GEBERT.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. :awucmon Fl LED NOV-231 1920.

1 3%,893, Patented June 7,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

w/r/vsssss INVENTOR I 57a FGEBEKT ATTORNEYS F. G'EBERT.

. AMUSEMENT DEVICE, APPLICA'HON ri w-juov. 2s, 1 92 o.- I 1,380,893. Patented June7, 1921.

'2 suns-shin 2.

l/VVEN TOR W 6254 fiGfEfFT ATTORNEYS WITNESSES UNITED STATES CARL F. GEBEET, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMIUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7, 1921.

Application filed November 23, 1920. Serial No. 426,059.

To all whom it may cbnceam:

Be it known that I, CARL F. Gnennr, a citizen of Germany, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Amusement Device, of which the following ,as a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, an object of the invention being to provide a'device which is in the nature of a wheel vehicle which is operated by means of a board fulcrumed between its ends and constituting in effect a seesaw adapted to receive riders at the respective ends thereof and provide improved steering means under the control of either or both of the operatorsso as to cause the device to perform amusing and different evolutions.

A further object is to provide an amusement device which is especially adapted for use in amusement parks and the like, but which, of course, may be used on any smooth surface and which is neat and attractive in appearance, comparatively cheap to manufacture and strong and durable in use.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings-- Figure '1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of myimproved amusement device.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of amusement device.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 represents the chassis of the amusement device which constitutes a vehicle and which is provided centrally with a transversely positioned crank axle 2 supported in suitable bearings 3 and having traction wheels 4 on its ends. These traction wheels 4: are preferably rubber tired as indicated at 5.

At the respective ends of the chassis steering forks 6 are provided and have rotary mounting in suitable bearings 7 at the front and rear ends of the chassis 1 and are supported by steering wheels 8, the latter also being preferably rubber tired, as shown at 9. Fork standards 10 are bolted, or otherwise secured, at their lower ends to the chassis 1 and at their upper ends support a rod 11 on which a board 12 is fulcrumed midway between its ends. This fulcruming of the board 12 is accomplished by means of bearing brackets 13 fixed to the under face ofthe board and receiving the rod 11 there n. Seats 141 are provided at the respective ends of the board 12 and dependmg stirrups 15 are pivotally connected to the board :12 as shown at, 16 and are adapted to receive the feet 17 of the operators 18 when the latter are in position in the seats 14.

T-shaped handle bars 19 are mounted in tubular bearings 20 on the board 12 adjacent the seats 14 and the shanks of these handle bars extend through the board and are provided with crossbars 21. The upper ends of the forks 6 are likewise provided with crossbars 22 and the crossbars 21 are connected with the crossbars 22 by crossed pairs of rods 23. It will be noted that the rods 23 connect the handle bars at one end of the board 12 with the steering fork at the opposite end of the "chassis and to compensate for the'seesaw motion of the 1 board 12-these'rods 23 are made in sections with coiled springs 2 1 interposed between the sections so as to give a certain amount of cushioning and elasticity to the rods to compensate for the varying movements of the board 12. V

To propel the device I provide a pair of links 25 which connect the board. at opposite sides of its fulcrum 11 with the crank arms 26 of the crank axle2. As a connecting means for the links 25' with the board 2 I provide brackets 27 which are secured to the under face of the boardand pivotally connected to the upper ends of the links 25. The operation of this form of my device is as follows: When the board 12 is caused to fulcrum on its pivot 11 by the shifting of the weight of the operators 18, such as is necessary in the operation of an ordinary seesaw, the motion of the board is transmitted to the crank axle 2 through the medium of the links 25, to cause the axle to turn and propel the'vehiole. e

As both operators 18'are provided with steering means consisting of the handle bars c 19 with the connections between the same and the steering forks 6 above described, both operators are enabled to steer the vehicle, each operator controlling the pivotal ments of the board.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and' 6, I employ a chassis 28 supported at its rear end by a driving axle '29 on which drivingwheels 30 are secured. The

' 1 forward end of the chassis is supported by a pair of steering wheels 31 secured to an axle 32uliaving a pivotal mounting 33 at its center on the chassis 28, so that the pivotal movement of the axle 32 will changethe 5 position of the wheels'31 to steer the vehicle.

Fork standards 34 are secured on the chassis 28and support a rod 35 on which a board 36,sin1ilart0 theboard 12 of the preferred form, has pivotal or fulcrumed mounting. This board 36 is provided at its ends with the seats 37, stirrups 38 and steering handle bar's 39 similar to the preferred form. The

crossbars 40 on the lower ends of the handle bars 39 are 1 connected by wires 41 with arms 42 depending from andpivotally connected to the rod 35 and a pair of rods 43 connectcthe arms 42 with the axle 32 at opposite sides of the pivotal point of the'latter, and these rods 43' are made in sections and have an elastic connection 44 to compensate for varying movements necessary in steering. At or adjacent the center of the chassis 28 I provide a crank shaft-45, the crank arms of which are connected by links 46 with the board;36 at opposite sides of the pivot or fulcrum of the latter, so that the seesawmotion of the board will impart a rotary motion to the Z crank shaft 45. A sprocket wheel 47 is secured on the shaft andis connected by a sprocket chain 48 with a sprocket wheel 49 on the drive axle 29.

i The operation of this modified form of my invention is as followsfW'hen the board 36 is caused to fulcrum, or "due to the seesaw motion imparted thereto by the operators,

the links 46 will compel a turning movement of the drive shaft 45 and, through the medium of the sprocket 1 wheel 47 sprocket chain 48, and sprocket wheel 49, will im' part a rotary movement to the rear axle 29 to propel the vehicle. Both operators have control of the steeringmechanism as the steering handles 39 can'be operatedto cause a pivotal movement-ofthe arms 42 and, through the medium ofthe latter and the rods 43, cause a pivotal movement of the axle 32 to steer it. r

With both forms of my invention motion is imparted to propel the vehicle by the seesaw action of the board and both operators are permitted a control over the steering or guiding of the vehicle so that considerable amusement can be afforded the users as well as exercise in the operation of the device;

Various other slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v I

1. A device of the character described, comprising a chassis, wheels supporting the chassis, a board fulcrumed between its ends and supported on the chassis, said board adapted to receive operators on its respective ends and operate as a seesaw, propelling means operated by the movement of the board, and steering means on the board adj acent the respective ends thereof. I

2. A device of the character described, comprising a chassis, wheels supporting the chassis, aboard fulcrumed between its ends and supported on the chassis, said board adapted'to receive operators. on its respective ends andoperate as a' seesaw, propelling means operated by'the'niotion of the board, and independent steering means adjacent the respective ends of the board. a i 3. A device of the character described, comprising achassis, traction wheels supporting the chassis, a crank-axle connecting the traction wheels, steering wheels at the ends of the'chassis, a board fulcrumed between its ends on the chassis, links connecting the crankarms of;the crank axle with said board atopposite sides of its'pivot or fulcrum, and steering meansoperatively connecting the board and the steering wheels.

4. A device of the character described, comprising'a chassis, traction wheels supporting. the chassis, a crank axle connecting thetraction wheels, steering-wheels at the ends of the chassis,.a boardfulcrumed between its ends on'the chassis, links connecting the crank arms of the crank axle with said board at opposite sides of its pivot orffulcrum, handle bars on the. board adacent its respective ends, Crossbars at the lower ends of thehandle bars, crossbars operatively connected to the steering wheels,

and rods operatively connecting the crossbars of the handle bars with'the cross-bars of the steering wheels.

5. A device of the character described, comprising achassis, traction wheels supporting the chassis, a crank axle connecting the traction wheels," steering wheels at the ends of the chassis, a board fulcrumed between its ends on the chassis, links connecting the crank arms of the crank axle with said board at opposite sides of its pivot or fulcrum, handle bars on the board adjacent its respective ends, crossbars at the lower ends of the handle bars, crossbars operatively connected to the steering Wheels, rods operatively connecting the crossbars of the handle bars with the crossbars of the steering wheels, said pairs ofrods crossing each other and extending from opposite ends of the device, and cushioning springs between sections of said rods.

6. A device of the character described, 15 comprising a chassis, traction Wheels and steering wheels supporting the chassis, fork standards on the chassis, a board fulcrumed between its ends on the standards, seats on the ends of the board, stirrups depending from the board adjacent the seats, propelling mechanism operated by the movement of said board, and steering mechanism adjacent each seat, said steering mechanismindependentlyw controlling the steering movement of 25 the device.

CARL F. GEBERT. 

